Sport
Clark holds big US Open lead as McIlroy makes back-nine stumble
JA
Jack Turner
3 weeks ago7 min read
Wyndham Clark seized control of the 123rd U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, carding a masterful second round to open a commanding four-shot lead over the field. The 29-year-old American, who has never won a major championship, posted a two-under-par 68 in gusting winds on Friday to reach six under for the tournament, leaving a chasing pack that includes world number one Scottie Scheffler and a faltering Rory McIlroy scrambling to keep pace.Clark’s round was a study in patience and precision. He navigated the brutal Long Island layout with only one bogey, offset by three birdies, and displayed a composure that belied his relative inexperience on the game’s biggest stages. His driving was particularly impressive, finding fairways with regularity and setting up manageable approaches into greens that have confounded many of the game’s elite. The performance marks a stunning turnaround for a player who missed the cut at last month’s PGA Championship and whose best finish in a major prior to this week was a tie for 75th at the 2021 U.S. Open. Yet here, on one of golf’s most exacting tracks, Clark has looked every bit the part of a champion.McIlroy, meanwhile, endured a rollercoaster second round that ultimately left him four strokes adrift. The Northern Irishman, seeking his first major victory since 2014, began the day tied for the lead but stumbled on the back nine after a promising start. He birdied the par-5 fifth and added another at the seventh to turn in 33, but the inward half proved his undoing. A double bogey at the 11th, where his tee shot found a gnarly lie in the rough and his approach spun back off the green, was followed by a bogey at the 13th. McIlroy did rally with a birdie at the 16th, but a closing bogey at the 18th, where he missed the fairway left and could only hack out, left him signing for a 73. The frustration was evident as he walked off the green, knowing that a golden opportunity to seize control had slipped away.The conditions at Shinnecock Hills have been the story of the championship so far. After a relatively benign opening round, the wind howled across the exposed links on Friday, turning the course into a beast that punished even the slightest misstep. The average score for the field soared above 74, and only a handful of players managed to break par. Clark’s ability to thrive in these conditions has drawn comparisons to the greats who have conquered this venue before, including Raymond Floyd, who won here in 1986, and Retief Goosen, who triumphed in 2004. The course’s firm, fast-running fairways and slick, sloping greens have demanded creativity and nerve, and Clark has delivered both.Behind Clark, the leaderboard is packed with major champions and rising stars. Scheffler, the Masters champion, ground out a gritty 71 to sit at two under, tied for second with fellow American Harris English and England’s Tommy Fleetwood. Fleetwood, who shot a brilliant 66 in the second round, is the only player in the top 10 who has yet to win a major, but his ball-striking has been impeccable. World number two Jon Rahm is lurking at one under after a 70, while defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick is a further shot back. The chasing pack will need something special on Saturday to reel in Clark, but the history of the U.S. Open is littered with examples of leaders who have wilted under the pressure of a weekend at Shinnecock.For McIlroy, the task is clear: he must produce a low round on moving day to put pressure on Clark and the rest of the leaders. His game has shown flashes of brilliance this week, particularly with his iron play, but the inconsistency that has plagued him in recent majors has resurfaced. The back-nine collapse on Friday will sting, but McIlroy has the talent and experience to bounce back. He will need to find fairways off the tee and avoid the big numbers that have derailed his chances in the past. The forecast for the weekend calls for more wind, which could level the playing field and give the chasers a glimmer of hope.As the tournament heads into the weekend, all eyes will be on Clark. Can he hold his nerve and become the first player since Brooks Koepka in 2018 to win the U.S. Open wire-to-wire? Or will the pressure of leading a major championship prove too much for a player who has never been in this position before? The answers will unfold over the next 36 holes, but one thing is certain: Shinnecock Hills is once again delivering the drama and intrigue that make the U.S. Open the toughest test in golf.
#week's picks
#US Open
#golf
#Wyndham Clark
#Rory McIlroy
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